In today’s DC Register, the DC Board of Elections officially announced the vacancy for 6B09. Any 6B09 resident interested in filling the remainder of my term can pick up petitions beginning on Tues., Jan. 19. Petitions are due back to the Board of Elections by Mon., Feb. 8.

If only one individual turns in petitions on Feb. 8, and those petitions are not deemed ineligible, then that individual will automatically fill the vacancy. If more that one individual turns in petitions, a special election will be held at a future ANC 6B meeting (likely in March).

I’m writing to share some bittersweet news. I’ve informed the DC Board of Elections that I will resign my seat as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for ANC 6B09. My last day as a commissioner will be Friday, January 15.

My decision to resign prior to the end of my term is due to some exciting personal news – my wife and I are expecting in April. While I’ve greatly enjoyed serving our neighborhood, it has been a significant time commitment with many evenings spent at meetings instead of with my family. As we prepare to grow, I’m looking forward to prioritizing family time over the coming months.

It has truly been an honor and a privilege to represent you on ANC 6B these past five years. I’m proud of working with you to keep our neighborhood united in Ward 6, pressure the city to move forward with development plans for Reservation 13, advocate for a road diet and traffic calming along 17th Street SE (plans to narrow 17th Street to one-lane north of Potomac are on track to begin in mid-2016) and push for a neighborhood-centric vision for Barney Circle and the Southeast Boulevard. I’ve also done my best to keep you updated and informed of ANC 6B meetings and neighborhood developments on my website.

While I’m certainly going to miss being a commissioner, I plan to continue being active on neighborhood issues, particularly Reservation 13 and the future of the RFK Stadium site. And I’m sure that I’ll continue to see many of you out and about in the neighborhood.

Once the vacancy is officially declared, the Board of Elections will announce procedures for a special election to fill the seat for the remainder of my term (through Jan. 1, 2016). I’ll send out an e-mail next week with additional details about the special election.

And, at the same time (7 pm), Commissioner Denise Krepp (6B10) has scheduled a community meeting to discuss the new 7-Eleven convenience store that will is opening at the corner of Massachusetts Ave SE and 15th Street SE (in space formerly occupied by S&J Liquors and 15th Street Cleaners). Representatives from 7-Eleven will be on hand to discuss their plans and address concerns raised by residents.

On Tues., Nov. 17, ANC 6B’s Hill East Task Force will hear a presentation from Donatelli/Blue Skye Development on the latest plans/renderings for phase I of the Hill East Development (also known as Reservation 13). The task force will meet at 7 pm at St. Coletta of Greater Washington (1901 Independence Ave SE). All are welcome.

The Donatelli/Blue Skye Development team was selected by the city to develop the first two parcels of the 67-acre Hill East Waterfront. While not expected to change significantly from those first presented to the community, the updated plans should include more detail. Donatelli/Blue Skye hope to formally submit their plans to the Zoning Commission for review by the end of the year. ANC 6B will have an opportunity to weigh in formally on the plans prior to the Zoning Commission hearing, likely in early 2016.

On Tues., Oct. 27, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen will host a Community Public Safety Meeting at 7 pm at Friendship Chamberlain Public Charter School (1345 Potomac Avenue SE – across from Harris Teeter). Councilmember Allen has invited Chief Cathy Lanier and First District Commander Jeff Brown to discuss how MPD is addressing the recent increase in violent crime on Capitol Hill.

On Wed., Oct. 28, ANC 6B’s Hill East Task Force will discuss the future of the RFK Stadium site from 7-8:30 pm at St. Coletta of Greater Washington (1901 Independence Ave SE). Ed Lazere, executive director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, will present data on stadiums and cities. The task force will also discuss the recent community meetings on the Events DC RFK Study.

ANC 6B’s October meeting is tonight (10/13), 7 pm at the Hill Center. Meeting materials are available at www.anc6b.org. The commission will be considering raze permit requests for 1620-1622 E Street SE, a letter to Mayor Bowser on the Events DC RFK Stadium Redevelopment study and a resolution on homelessness.

The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project, a great nonprofit organization that works to provide playtime and learning opportunities for children living in temporary housing, is currently constructing a new preteen and teen space at the DC General Family Shelter. While they have plenty of volunteers signed up to help with the construction, the Playtime Project is still raising funds for the new space. You can donate or learn about other volunteer opportunities on the Playtime Project’s website.

This Sat., Oct. 17 is the 15th Annual Renovators House Tour, an event that raises funds for the Capitol Hill Cluster School. The tour, which goes from 10 am – 4 pm, kicks off in my Single Member District (6B09) with stops along Kentucky Ave SE and E Street SE. You can purchase tickets for the tour at http://renovatorshousetour.org/.

In case you missed it, the Washington Post had a great feature article on Historic Congressional Cemetery!

Some important news for residents who use the Stadium-Armory Metro station. In the aftermath of last week’s substation fire, WMATA has announced that it will reduce service to the Stadium-Armory Metro station beginning on Tues., Sept. 29. During weekday rush hours (5-10 am, 2-7:30 pm), the Stadium-Armory Metro station will only be served by Blue Line trains. All Orange and Silver Line trains will pass through the station without stopping. Normal service to the station will resume once the substation is rebuilt and back online, a process that, according to WMATA, is “estimated to take more than six months.”

On Sept. 28, Councilmembers Charles Allen (Ward 6) and Yvette Alexander (Ward 7) sent a letter to WMATA asking the agency to reconsider its decision to implement service cuts at Stadium-Armory. And Commissioner Denise Krepp (6B10) and I plan to ask ANC 6B’s Executive Committee to send a letter to WMATA asking the agency to reverse the cuts. Hopefully, WMATA will reverse this ill-advised decision.